Research interests

History of physics, especially the origins of Einstein's special theory of relativity, history of mathematics.

Courses taught

HIS329U Perspectives on Science and Math, HIS322M History of Modern Science, TC302/UGS302 Scientists and Religion in History, HIS350L Einstein in an Age of Conflicts, HIS366N Biology, Behavior and Injustice, HIS380K Science and Conjectures.

Awards/Honors

Weisman Instructor in History of Science, Caltech, 2004–2005Fellow, Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology, M.I.T., 2001-03Smithsonian Fellow, National Museum of American History, 2001

HIS 350L •
Einstein In Age Of Conflict

While age-old scientific concepts were being overturned by the rise of modern physics, Europe was torn apart by wars of unprecedented scale. This history course analyzes these developments, examining the rise of the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics against the stage of international political upheavals. Following the life of Albert Einstein, the course focuses on conceptual developments (from the 1880s through the 1940s) and intellectual conflicts. It also studies the lives of physicists such as Max Planck, Werner Heisenberg, and J. Robert Oppenheimer, in the context of changing cultural and political environments. We will read and discuss various kinds of materials: manuscripts, letters, accounts by historians, physicists, essays, and even secret transcripts of controversial conversations. The material will be understandable even to students with no significant background in physics. Among the topics involved are the following: How did relativity and the quantum clash with earlier conceptions of nature? Why did physics become so apparently difficult to understand? In Europe and America, how did scientists and politicians behave in times of international catastrophe? How were the academic and social orders affected by the development of nuclear weapons?

• John Heilbron, The Dilemmas of an Upright Man. Max Planck and the Fortunes of German Science. Harvard University Press, 2000.

Grading:

• One reaction essay, of 600 words in length.

• One historical analysis paper, 1000 words. The topic of the historical analysis paper will be individually selected by each student from a few alternatives.

• Final Research Paper, of at least 2500 words. A draft of the introduction or outline of the Research Paper will be expected 3 weeks before the final due date; for critical feedback. The subject of the final Research Paper will be designed by each student under advisement with the Instructor. This will equal 75% of the grade for the course.

HIS 366N •
Bio, Behavior, & Injustice

This course explores interesting episodes in the history of science, focusing on questions about what aspects of human behavior are essentially determined by biological factors rather than by experiences and society. Changing beliefs about what is natural have affected how some people are treated, so we will discuss the social consequences of such notions. The course will include the following topics: theories of race, Darwin’s works, evolution in schools and U.S. courts, American eugenics and Nazi science, differences between women and men, IQ testing, the controversy about DNA and Rosalind Franklin, studies of twins separated at birth, genetic engineering, ethical issues on cloning animals and humans, biotechnology, the immortal cells of Henrietta Lacks, designer babies, biology in forensic science. This is a lecture course, with participation encouraged.

Texts: Some readings are in the Course Packet, required, which will be available at Jenn’s Copy & Binding, 2518 Guadalupe St. There are no readings at the Libraries, on reserve, instead, all other readings will be available online through the UT Libraries website or on Blackboard: https://courses.utexas.edu/

HIS 329U •
Perspectives On Science & Math

39515-39520 •
Fall 2014
Meets
MWF 1100am-1200pm PAI 4.18

This course explores a selection of topics and episodes in the history of science and mathematics. It has four interlocking goals: to provide an overview of the history of science and math (for general education and to better comprehend subjects that you may eventually teach); to enable you to put these historical perspectives and context to work in pedagogy; to sharpen your independence of thought; and to improve your writing skills.

Students will design and prepare Two 5E Lesson Plans (each having a minimum length of 1200 words). Detailed instructions will be distributed separately. You will select the subject of these lesson plans from a variety of options. Once graded, you will incorporate corrections into your lesson plan, to electronically post the revised product, which will improve your grade. There will be several quizzes and writing assignments. All students will take a Midterm Exam, designed to test the extent to which you have followed, engaged, and learned from the topics discussed in class and in the readings. Furthermore, you will have to do a Presentation of one of your lesson plans to a group of peers. (You will also write Comments on other presentations.) Finally, all students will have to take a Final Essay Exam (about 800 words) in the classroom during Finals Week.

NOTE: this course involves a weekly discussion session with the Teaching Assistant from the History Department. You are required to attend one such session per week, to carry out work for the course.

This is an upper-division history course. The assigned readings vary in length, and we encourage you to read thoughtfully rather than waste your time skimming and forgetting. Some of the readings will be from primary sources (such as writings by prominent scientists), other readings will be from secondary texts (such as by historians). You will also be required to do additional research and reading for the lesson plans; so keep this in mind when budgeting your time for this course. Classes will be conducted as a mixture of lecture and discussion. Accordingly, attendance and participation are important, as you can also see from the grading distributions below. Attendance will be taken daily, and will be used in evaluating your overall grade for class participation. You are welcome to speak up at any time.

Texts:

There is a required Course Packet, available for purchase only at Jenn’s Copies on 2518 Guadalupe at Dean Keaton. Also, additional readings are available online, on Blackboard.

Grading:

This course is listed as having a Substantial Writing Component; therefore, much of your final grade will be based on written expression. The grading breakdown is as follows:

Class participation 10% (for speaking; minus absences, see below)

Quizzes and Assignments 16%

First Lesson Plan 16%

Midterm Exam 16% (in class)

Second Lesson Plan 16%

Presentation 10%

Final Exam 16% (in a classroom, during Finals Week)

HIS 329U •
Perspectives On Science & Math

39525-39530 •
Fall 2014
Meets
MWF 200pm-300pm PAI 4.18

This course explores a selection of topics and episodes in the history of science and mathematics. It has four interlocking goals: to provide an overview of the history of science and math (for general education and to better comprehend subjects that you may eventually teach); to enable you to put these historical perspectives and context to work in pedagogy; to sharpen your independence of thought; and to improve your writing skills.

Students will design and prepare Two 5E Lesson Plans (each having a minimum length of 1200 words). Detailed instructions will be distributed separately. You will select the subject of these lesson plans from a variety of options. Once graded, you will incorporate corrections into your lesson plan, to electronically post the revised product, which will improve your grade. There will be several quizzes and writing assignments. All students will take a Midterm Exam, designed to test the extent to which you have followed, engaged, and learned from the topics discussed in class and in the readings. Furthermore, you will have to do a Presentation of one of your lesson plans to a group of peers. (You will also write Comments on other presentations.) Finally, all students will have to take a Final Essay Exam (about 800 words) in the classroom during Finals Week.

NOTE: this course involves a weekly discussion session with the Teaching Assistant from the History Department. You are required to attend one such session per week, to carry out work for the course.

This is an upper-division history course. The assigned readings vary in length, and we encourage you to read thoughtfully rather than waste your time skimming and forgetting. Some of the readings will be from primary sources (such as writings by prominent scientists), other readings will be from secondary texts (such as by historians). You will also be required to do additional research and reading for the lesson plans; so keep this in mind when budgeting your time for this course. Classes will be conducted as a mixture of lecture and discussion. Accordingly, attendance and participation are important, as you can also see from the grading distributions below. Attendance will be taken daily, and will be used in evaluating your overall grade for class participation. You are welcome to speak up at any time.

Texts:

There is a required Course Packet, available for purchase only at Jenn’s Copies on 2518 Guadalupe at Dean Keaton. Also, additional readings are available online, on Blackboard.

Grading:

This course is listed as having a Substantial Writing Component; therefore, much of your final grade will be based on written expression. The grading breakdown is as follows:

Class participation 10% (for speaking; minus absences, see below)

Quizzes and Assignments 16%

First Lesson Plan 16%

Midterm Exam 16% (in class)

Second Lesson Plan 16%

Presentation 10%

Final Exam 16% (in a classroom, during Finals Week)

HIS 322M •
History Of Modern Science

39785 •
Spring 2014
Meets
TTH 200pm-330pm WAG 101

This course explores a selection of topics and episodes in the history of science. The main time frame ranges from the early 1600s to 1945 (the end of World War II). The major scientific developments discussed will include the Copernican revolution, Newton’s contributions to physics and their influence, the origins and rise of Darwin’s theory of evolution, the Eugenics movement, the Scopes Monkey Trial, the origins of Einstein’s theories of relativity, and the early development of nuclear weapons.

Readings:

Hal Hellman, Great Feuds in Science, New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1998.

HIS 380K •
Science And Conjectures

40180 •
Spring 2014
Meets
TH 330pm-630pm GAR 2.124

This reading seminar analyzes major topics in history of science. We will mostly analyze primary sources, including famous works that triggered conceptual revolutions and intense popular interest: works by Galileo, Darwin, Einstein, and others. We will discuss major controversies in the relations between sciences and Christian religions: transcripts of the Catholic Inquisition’s proceedings against Galileo (1633), and transcripts of the Dayton, Tennessee, trial against John Scopes for teaching evolution in public schools (1925). In physics, we will discuss Einstein’s relativity (1905 and 1916) and Heisenberg’s uncertainty (1927), especially in relation to the demise of positivism and the growth of relativism in the social sciences during the later 1900s. Also, we will discuss the development of scientific and pseudo-scientific theories of human races, including influential theories of polygenism, evolution, and eugenics. The course does not presuppose any specialized knowledge of the sciences in question. Nonetheless, we will clarify major scientific concepts and theories. The aim is to develop an accurate and sophisticated understanding of how major works in the sciences affected world-views at various times: how people used to “cut up” the world into particular entities, categories, or law-like relations, and how such world-views varied over time. We will analyze how scientists reached consensus, and how scientific standards changed over time. We will discuss various efforts to find criteria of demarcation between science, non-science, and pseudoscience. In particular, we will discuss Karl Popper’s work on this issue, and subsequent critiques.

In biology, we will analyze Darwin’s theory of evolution, especially as it appears in the first edition of his Origin of Species. We will elaborate this theme in readings and discussions about human evolution, theories of race, eugenics, studies of criminal behavior, and even a discussion of the growth of knowledge or the structure of scientific revolutions, in analogy to natural selection. In physics, we will discuss the rise of Einstein’s theories of relativity: how his original writings embodied departures from Newton’s paradigmatic style of physics, and how this departure affected physics and the sciences as a whole, including the social sciences. We will discuss how some German physicists rushed to abandon causality and determinism after WWI, and how this development related to social and intellectual currents that criticized rationalism.

HIS 329U •
Perspectives On Science & Math

39725-39730 •
Fall 2013
Meets
MWF 1100am-1200pm PAI 4.18

This course explores a selection of topics and episodes in the history of science and mathematics. It has four interlocking goals: to provide an overview of the history of science and math (for general education and to better comprehend subjects that you may eventually teach); to enable you to put these historical perspectives and context to work in pedagogy; to sharpen your independence of thought; and to improve your writing skills.

Students will design and prepare Two 5E Lesson Plans (each having a minimum length of 1200 words). Detailed instructions will be distributed separately. You will select the subject of these lesson plans from a variety of options. Once graded, you will incorporate corrections into your lesson plan, to electronically post the revised product, which will improve your grade. There will be several quizzes and writing assignments. All students will take a Midterm Exam, designed to test the extent to which you have followed, engaged, and learned from the topics discussed in class and in the readings. Furthermore, you will have to do a Presentation of one of your lesson plans to a group of peers. (You will also write Comments on other presentations.) Finally, all students will have to take a Final Essay Exam (about 800 words) in the classroom during Finals Week.

NOTE: this course involves a weekly discussion session with the Teaching Assistant from the History Department. You are required to attend one such session per week, to carry out work for the course.

This is an upper-division history course. The assigned readings vary in length, and we encourage you to read thoughtfully rather than waste your time skimming and forgetting. Some of the readings will be from primary sources (such as writings by prominent scientists), other readings will be from secondary texts (such as by historians). You will also be required to do additional research and reading for the lesson plans; so keep this in mind when budgeting your time for this course. Classes will be conducted as a mixture of lecture and discussion. Accordingly, attendance and participation are important, as you can also see from the grading distributions below. Attendance will be taken daily, and will be used in evaluating your overall grade for class participation. You are welcome to speak up at any time.

Texts:

There is a required Course Packet, available for purchase only at Jenn’s Copies on 2518 Guadalupe at Dean Keaton. Also, additional readings are available online, on Blackboard.

Grading:

This course is listed as having a Substantial Writing Component; therefore, much of your final grade will be based on written expression. The grading breakdown is as follows:

HIS 329U •
Perspectives On Science & Math

39735-39740 •
Fall 2013
Meets
MWF 200pm-300pm PAI 4.18

This course explores a selection of topics and episodes in the history of science and mathematics. It has four interlocking goals: to provide an overview of the history of science and math (for general education and to better comprehend subjects that you may eventually teach); to enable you to put these historical perspectives and context to work in pedagogy; to sharpen your independence of thought; and to improve your writing skills.

Students will design and prepare Two 5E Lesson Plans (each having a minimum length of 1200 words). Detailed instructions will be distributed separately. You will select the subject of these lesson plans from a variety of options. Once graded, you will incorporate corrections into your lesson plan, to electronically post the revised product, which will improve your grade. There will be several quizzes and writing assignments. All students will take a Midterm Exam, designed to test the extent to which you have followed, engaged, and learned from the topics discussed in class and in the readings. Furthermore, you will have to do a Presentation of one of your lesson plans to a group of peers. (You will also write Comments on other presentations.) Finally, all students will have to take a Final Essay Exam (about 800 words) in the classroom during Finals Week.

NOTE: this course involves a weekly discussion session with the Teaching Assistant from the History Department. You are required to attend one such session per week, to carry out work for the course.

This is an upper-division history course. The assigned readings vary in length, and we encourage you to read thoughtfully rather than waste your time skimming and forgetting. Some of the readings will be from primary sources (such as writings by prominent scientists), other readings will be from secondary texts (such as by historians). You will also be required to do additional research and reading for the lesson plans; so keep this in mind when budgeting your time for this course. Classes will be conducted as a mixture of lecture and discussion. Accordingly, attendance and participation are important, as you can also see from the grading distributions below. Attendance will be taken daily, and will be used in evaluating your overall grade for class participation. You are welcome to speak up at any time.

Texts:

There is a required Course Packet, available for purchase only at Jenn’s Copies on 2518 Guadalupe at Dean Keaton. Also, additional readings are available online, on Blackboard.

Grading:

This course is listed as having a Substantial Writing Component; therefore, much of your final grade will be based on written expression. The grading breakdown is as follows:

HIS 350L •
Einstein In Age Of Conflict

While age-old scientific concepts were being overturned by the rise of modern physics, Europe was torn apart by wars of unprecedented scale. This history course analyzes these developments, examining the rise of the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics against the stage of international political upheavals. Following the life of Albert Einstein, the course focuses on conceptual developments (from the 1880s through the 1940s) and intellectual conflicts. It also studies the lives of physicists such as Max Planck, Werner Heisenberg, and J. Robert Oppenheimer, in the context of changing cultural and political environments. We will read and discuss various kinds of materials: manuscripts, letters, accounts by historians, physicists, essays, and even secret transcripts of controversial conversations. The material will be understandable even to students with no significant background in physics. Among the topics involved are the following: How did relativity and the quantum clash with earlier conceptions of nature? Why did physics become so apparently difficult to understand? In Europe and America, how did scientists and politicians behave in times of international catastrophe? How were the academic and social orders affected by the development of nuclear weapons?

Grading

One reaction essay, of 600 words in length.

One historical analysis paper, 1000 words. The topic of the historical analysis paper will be individually selected by each student from a few alternatives.

Final Research Paper, of at least 2500 words. A draft of the introduction or outline of the Research Paper will be expected 3 weeks before the final due date; for critical feedback. The subject of the final Research Paper will be designed by each student under advisement with the Instructor. This will equal 75% of the grade for the course.

HIS 366N •
Biology, Behavior, & Injustice

This course explores interesting episodes in the history of science, focusing on questions about what aspects of human behavior are essentially determined by biological factors rather than by experiences and society. Changing beliefs about what is natural have affected how some people are treated, so we will discuss the social consequences of such notions. The course will include the following topics: theories of race, Darwin’s works, evolution in schools and U.S. courts, American eugenics and Nazi science, differences between women and men, IQ testing, the controversy about DNA and Rosalind Franklin, studies of twins separated at birth, genetic engineering, ethical issues on cloning animals and humans, biotechnology, the immortal cells of Henrietta Lacks, designer babies, biology in forensic science. This is a lecture course, with participation encouraged.

Texts: Some readings are in the Course Packet, required, which will be available at Jenn’s Copy & Binding, 2518 Guadalupe St. There are no readings at the Libraries, on reserve, instead, all other readings will be available online through the UT Libraries website or on Blackboard: https://courses.utexas.edu/

HIS 366N •
Biology, Behavior, & Injustice

This course explores interesting episodes in the history of science, focusing on questions about what aspects of human behavior are essentially determined by biological factors rather than by experiences and society. Changing beliefs about what is natural have affected how some people are treated, so we will discuss the social consequences of such notions. The course will include the following topics: theories of race, Darwin’s works, evolution in schools and U.S. courts, American eugenics and Nazi science, differences between women and men, IQ testing, the controversy about DNA and Rosalind Franklin, studies of twins separated at birth, genetic engineering, ethical issues on cloning animals and humans, biotechnology, the immortal cells of Henrietta Lacks, designer babies, biology in forensic science. This is a lecture course, with participation encouraged.

Texts: Some readings are in the Course Packet, required, which will be available at Jenn’s Copy & Binding, 2518 Guadalupe St. There are no readings at the Libraries, on reserve, instead, all other readings will be available online through the UT Libraries website or on Blackboard: https://courses.utexas.edu/

HIS 322M •
History Of Modern Science

39260 •
Fall 2011
Meets
TTH 1230pm-200pm WEL 2.308

This course analyzes major developments from the Scientific Revolution of the 1600s until the rise of Big Science in the 20th century. It begins with astronomy and the famous trial of Galileo by the Catholic Inquisition. It includes discussions of major historical events in relation to science, including the Great Plague of 1665, the Eugenics movement, and World War II. Scientific developments covered include Newton?s contributions to physics and their influence, alchemy, the origins and rise of Darwin's theory of evolution, the Scopes Monkey Trial, the origins of Einstein's theories of relativity, and sociobiology.

HIS 322M •
History Of Modern Science

39535 •
Spring 2011
Meets
MWF 100pm-200pm WEL 2.308

This course analyzes major developments from the Scientific Revolution of the 1600s until the rise of Big Science in the 20th century. It begins with astronomy and the famous trial of Galileo by the Catholic Inquisition. It includes discussions of major historical events in relation to science, including the Great Plague of 1665, the Eugenics movement, and World War II. Scientific developments covered include Newton?s contributions to physics and their influence, alchemy, the origins and rise of Darwin's theory of evolution, the Scopes Monkey Trial, the origins of Einstein's theories of relativity, and sociobiology.

HIS 350L •
Einstein In Age Of Conflicts

39650 •
Spring 2011
Meets
MW 330pm-500pm CBA 4.348

While age-old scientific concepts were being overturned by the rise of modern physics, Europe was torn apart by wars of unprecedented scale. This history course analyzes these developments, examining the rise of the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics against the stage of international political upheavals. Following the life of Albert Einstein, the course focuses on conceptual developments (from the 1880s through the 1940s) and intellectual conflicts. It also studies the lives of physicists such as Max Planck, Werner Heisenberg, and J. Robert Oppenheimer, in the context of changing cultural and political environments. We will read and discuss various kinds of materials: manuscripts, letters, accounts by historians, physicists, essays, and even secret transcripts of controversial conversations. The material will be understandable even to students with no significant background in physics. Among the topics involved are the following: How did relativity and the quantum clash with earlier conceptions of nature? Why did physics become so apparently difficult to understand? In Europe and America, how did scientists and politicians behave in times of international catastrophe? How were the academic and social orders affected by the development of nuclear weapons?

Grading

One reaction essay, of 600 words in length.

One historical analysis paper, 1000 words. The topic of the historical analysis paper will be individually selected by each student from a few alternatives.

Final Research Paper, of at least 2500 words. A draft of the introduction or outline of the Research Paper will be expected 3 weeks before the final due date; for critical feedback. The subject of the final Research Paper will be designed by each student under advisement with the Instructor. This will equal 75% of the grade for the course.

This course explores a selection of topics and episodes in the history of science and mathematics. It has four interlocking goals: to provide an overview of the history of science and math (for general education and to better comprehend subjects that you may eventually teach); to enable you to put these historical perspectives and context to work in pedagogy; to sharpen your independence of thought; and to improve your writing skills.

Students will design and prepare Two 5E Lesson Plans (each having a minimum length of 1200 words). Detailed instructions will be distributed separately. You will select the subject of these lesson plans from a variety of options. Once graded, you will incorporate corrections into your lesson plan, to electronically post the revised product, which will improve your grade. There will be several quizzes and writing assignments. All students will take a Midterm Exam, designed to test the extent to which you have followed, engaged, and learned from the topics discussed in class and in the readings. Furthermore, you will have to do a Presentation of one of your lesson plans to a group of peers. (You will also write Comments on other presentations.) Finally, all students will have to take a Final Essay Exam (about 800 words) in the classroom during Finals Week.

NOTE: this course involves a weekly discussion session with the Teaching Assistant from the History Department. You are required to attend one such session per week, to carry out work for the course.

This is an upper-division history course. The assigned readings vary in length, and we encourage you to read thoughtfully rather than waste your time skimming and forgetting. Some of the readings will be from primary sources (such as writings by prominent scientists), other readings will be from secondary texts (such as by historians). You will also be required to do additional research and reading for the lesson plans; so keep this in mind when budgeting your time for this course. Classes will be conducted as a mixture of lecture and discussion. Accordingly, attendance and participation are important, as you can also see from the grading distributions below. Attendance will be taken daily, and will be used in evaluating your overall grade for class participation. You are welcome to speak up at any time.

READINGS: There is a required Course Packet, available for purchase only at Jenn’s Copies on 2518 Guadalupe at Dean Keaton. Also, additional readings are available online, on Blackboard. You are responsible for obtaining each reading assignment on time. Almost every day when there is an assigned reading, there will be a Reading Confirmation Quiz. The Class Calendar, below, lists the exact day when each reading will be tested.

The Class Calendar includes also a reliable schedule of when specific subjects will be covered in class. It also includes Project due dates, and the Exam dates. The date for the final exam, during finals week, is chosen by the UT Registrar, so it will be announced when posted.

GRADING: This course is listed as having a Substantial Writing Component; therefore, much of your final grade will be based on written expression. The grading breakdown is as follows:Class participation 10% (for speaking; minus absences, see below) Quizzes and Assignments 16% First Lesson Plan 16% Midterm Exam 16% (in class)Second Lesson Plan 16% Presentation 10% Final Exam 16% (in a classroom, during Finals Week)ATTENDANCE: Everyone is expected to attend classes. There will be a sign-in sheet every day. As a courtesy, you have one free absence-without-consequences. But after that you must provide written medical proof of illness, or another acceptable exemption, otherwise, you will lose .5 percentage points for each absence.

Work turned in late without an extension negotiated at least a week in advance will be penalized by one full letter grade.

Alongside the present syllabus, you should soon have a handout titled “Avoiding Plagiarism in History Courses,” which has been prepared by the History Department to help prevent this problem. Accordingly, University policies on plagiarism and academic dishonesty will be enforced in this class.

History 329U: Perspectives on Science and Math Class Calendar, Fall 2010 Birdseye View of Mathematics, and What is a Science anyway?

READINGS

Aug.25 Wed. Birdseye View of Mathematics, and What is a Science anymay?

This course explores a selection of topics and episodes in the history of science and mathematics. It has four interlocking goals: to provide an overview of the history of science and math (for general education and to better comprehend subjects that you may eventually teach); to enable you to put these historical perspectives and context to work in pedagogy; to sharpen your independence of thought; and to improve your writing skills.

Students will design and prepare Two 5E Lesson Plans (each having a minimum length of 1200 words). Detailed instructions will be distributed separately. You will select the subject of these lesson plans from a variety of options. Once graded, you will incorporate corrections into your lesson plan, to electronically post the revised product, which will improve your grade. There will be several quizzes and writing assignments. All students will take a Midterm Exam, designed to test the extent to which you have followed, engaged, and learned from the topics discussed in class and in the readings. Furthermore, you will have to do a Presentation of one of your lesson plans to a group of peers. (You will also write Comments on other presentations.) Finally, all students will have to take a Final Essay Exam (about 800 words) in the classroom during Finals Week.

NOTE: this course involves a weekly discussion session with the Teaching Assistant from the History Department. You are required to attend one such session per week, to carry out work for the course.

This is an upper-division history course. The assigned readings vary in length, and we encourage you to read thoughtfully rather than waste your time skimming and forgetting. Some of the readings will be from primary sources (such as writings by prominent scientists), other readings will be from secondary texts (such as by historians). You will also be required to do additional research and reading for the lesson plans; so keep this in mind when budgeting your time for this course. Classes will be conducted as a mixture of lecture and discussion. Accordingly, attendance and participation are important, as you can also see from the grading distributions below. Attendance will be taken daily, and will be used in evaluating your overall grade for class participation. You are welcome to speak up at any time.

READINGS: There is a required Course Packet, available for purchase only at Jenn’s Copies on 2518 Guadalupe at Dean Keaton. Also, additional readings are available online, on Blackboard. You are responsible for obtaining each reading assignment on time. Almost every day when there is an assigned reading, there will be a Reading Confirmation Quiz. The Class Calendar, below, lists the exact day when each reading will be tested.

The Class Calendar includes also a reliable schedule of when specific subjects will be covered in class. It also includes Project due dates, and the Exam dates. The date for the final exam, during finals week, is chosen by the UT Registrar, so it will be announced when posted.

GRADING: This course is listed as having a Substantial Writing Component; therefore, much of your final grade will be based on written expression. The grading breakdown is as follows:Class participation 10% (for speaking; minus absences, see below) Quizzes and Assignments 16% First Lesson Plan 16% Midterm Exam 16% (in class)Second Lesson Plan 16% Presentation 10% Final Exam 16% (in a classroom, during Finals Week)ATTENDANCE: Everyone is expected to attend classes. There will be a sign-in sheet every day. As a courtesy, you have one free absence-without-consequences. But after that you must provide written medical proof of illness, or another acceptable exemption, otherwise, you will lose .5 percentage points for each absence.

Work turned in late without an extension negotiated at least a week in advance will be penalized by one full letter grade.

Alongside the present syllabus, you should soon have a handout titled “Avoiding Plagiarism in History Courses,” which has been prepared by the History Department to help prevent this problem. Accordingly, University policies on plagiarism and academic dishonesty will be enforced in this class.

History 329U: Perspectives on Science and Math Class Calendar, Fall 2010 Birdseye View of Mathematics, and What is a Science anyway?

READINGS

Aug.25 Wed. Birdseye View of Mathematics, and What is a Science anymay?

* * * * * * * * * * * *This course explores a selection of topics and episodes in the history of science and mathematics. Ithas four interlocking goals: to provide an overview of the history of science and math (for generaleducation and to better comprehend subjects that you may eventually teach); to enable you to putthese historical perspectives and context to work in pedagogy; to sharpen your independence ofthought; and to improve your writing skills.

Students will design and prepare Two 5E Lesson Plans (each having a minimum length of1200 words). Detailed instructions will be distributed separately. You will select the subject ofthese lesson plans from a variety of options. Once graded, you will incorporate correctionsinto your lesson plan, to electronically post the revised product, which will improve yourgrade. There will be several quizzes and writing assignments. All students will take a MidtermExam, designed to test the extent to which you have followed, engaged, and learned from thetopics discussed in class and in the readings. Furthermore, you will have to do a Presentationof one of your lesson plans to a group of peers. (You will also write Comments on otherpresentations.) Finally, all students will have to take a Final Essay Exam (about 800 words)in the classroom during Finals Week.

NOTE: this course involves a weekly recitation session with the Teaching Assistant from the HistoryDepartment. You are required to attend one such session per week, to carry out work for the course.

This is an upper-division history course. The assigned readings vary in length, and we encourage youto read thoughtfully rather than waste your time skimming and forgetting. Some of the readings willbe from primary sources (such as writings by prominent scientists), other readings will be fromsecondary texts (such as by historians). You will also be required to do additional research and readingfor the lesson plans; so keep this in mind when budgeting your time for this course. Classes will beconducted as a mixture of lecture and discussion. Accordingly, attendance and participation areimportant, as you can also see from the grading distributions below. Attendance will be taken daily,and will be used in evaluating your overall grade for class participation. You are welcome to speak upat any time.

READINGS: There is a required Course Packet, available for purchase only at Jenn’s Copies onGuadalupe at Dean Keaton. Also, additional readings are available online, on Blackboard. You areresponsible for obtaining each reading assignment on time. Every day when there is an assignedreading, there will be a Reading Confirmation Quiz. The Class Calendar, below, lists the exactday when each reading will be tested.

The Class Calendar includes also a reliable schedule of when specific subjects will be covered in class.It also includes Project due dates, and the Exam dates. The date for the final exam, during finalsweek, is chosen by the registrar, so it will be announced when posted.GRADING: This course is listed as having a Substantial Writing Component; therefore, much ofyour final grade will be based on written expression. The grading breakdown is as follows:Class participation 10% (for speaking; minus absences, see below)Quizzes and Assignments 16%First Lesson Plan 16%Midterm Exam 16% (in class)Second Lesson Plan 16%Presentation 10%Final Exam 16% (in a classroom, during Finals Week)ATTENDANCE: Everyone is expected to attend classes. There will be a sign-in sheet every day. As acourtesy, you have one free absence-without-consequences. But after that you must provide writtenmedical proof of illness, or another acceptable exemption, otherwise, you will lose .5 percentagepoints for each absence.

Work turned in late without an extension negotiated at least a week in advance will be penalized byone full letter grade.

Alongside the present syllabus, you should soon have a handout titled “Avoiding Plagiarism inHistory Courses,” which has been prepared by the History Department to help prevent this problem.Accordingly, University policies on plagiarism and academic dishonesty will be enforced in this class.History 329U: Perspectives on Science and MathClass Calendar, Spring 2010

HIS 329U •
Persp On Sci And Math-Uteach-W

39525-39530 •
Spring 2010
Meets
MWF 200pm-300pm PAI 4.18

Perspectives on Science and Math explores the intellectual, social, and cultural history of science and math from the Renaissance to the present. It is designed for students in UTeach Natural Sciences. The course has four interlocking goals: to give you an overview of the history of science and mathematics, for your general education and to help you reflect on your own reasons and goals for teaching science or math; to enable you to put this broader history and context to work in science and mathematics pedagogy; to improve your writing skills to competence or mastery; and likewise to improve you research and information analysis skills to competence of mastery. This is a writing flag class.

The readings and lessons explore the why, how, and what of the history of science and math. We will attempt to identify and analyze the goals of natural philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians—why did they think the knowledge they made was important? We will investigate the practices by which people have established thecredibility or authority of knowledge—how did people agree on what was true? And we will study the content of theories—what did people know? While exploring these historical questions, we will pay especially close attention to the changing roles of science and math education. “We” is not a figure of speech here. This is a team taught class, and you are on the team. Nearly a third of the lessons will be developed and led by students. These lessons will focus especially on answering the last question; that is, what did people know?

There is a weekly discussion section connected to this course which students are required to attend.

Readings are posted on the course’s blackboard site.

Grading Policies

Unless an extension is granted well in advance, the grade will drop a full letter for each day an assignment is late. “Sundry assignments” will not be accepted late. Plus/minus grades will be assigned.

Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from Services for Students with Disabilities: 471-6259.

University policies on plagiarism and academic dishonesty will be enforced.

Assignments

Participation: 15%

Attendance will be taken and factored into your grade. One unexcused absence is allowed. In addition, active and insightful engagement in the lessons will be rewarded—everyone is expected to participate in discussions. Attendance and participation in sections are included here.

Sundry Assignments: 10%

These are ungraded or plus-check-minus assignments completed in class or at home. Most are connected to a reading and are designed to improve comprehension and assure that students have completed the reading. They may include unannounced quizzes.

Short Research Paper: 10%

This paper is closely linked to the 5E Lesson Plan (see below). Before preparing the 5E Lesson Plan with a partner, each student will research and write a three to four page essay exploring the subject of his/her lesson.

5E Lesson Plan: 25%

Working in pairs, students will prepare, present, and revise one 5E Lesson Plan integrating a historical topic into a science or math lesson. These lessons are considered part of the class, and should focus on an interesting or important historical idea or method. The 5E Lesson Plans will be critical for providing the intellectual (as opposed to the social and cultural) history component of the course. Handouts, examples, rubrics, etc. will explain the assignment and establish clear expectations.

Peer Review: 5%

Students will provide feedback to peers on 5E Lesson Plans and selected writing assignments.

Unit Reflections: 15% (5% each)

Two to four page written reflections on the readings, lectures, and discussions for each of the first three units. Due the Monday after the end of the unit.

Midterm Exam: 10%

The midterm will consist of identifications and short answer questions

Final Exam: 10%

The final exam will consist of identifications and short answer questions.

HIS 322M •
History Of Modern Science

38975 •
Spring 2009
Meets
MWF 200pm-300pm BUR 108

This course analyzes major developments from the Scientific Revolution of the 1600s until the rise of Big Science in the 20th century. It begins with astronomy and the famous trial of Galileo by the Catholic Inquisition. It includes discussions of major historical events in relation to science, including the Great Plague of 1665, the Eugenics movement, and World War II. Scientific developments covered include Newton?s contributions to physics and their influence, alchemy, the origins and rise of Darwin's theory of evolution, the Scopes Monkey Trial, the origins of Einstein's theories of relativity, and sociobiology.

All architectural drawings are from the Alexander Architectural Archive at the University of Texas at Austin, sheets 6, 13, 14, and 17. The logo was inspired by a detail from the drawings. Images are either copyrighted by the University or used under fair use laws. Any unauthorized use or duplication is prohibited.